Process of stuffing leather and apparatus therefor.



No. 874,882. PATENTBD'DBG. 24, 1907.

8.8BARH0PB.

PROCESS 0F STUPFING LEATHER AND APPARATUS THEREPOR.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 14,1905.

w umlllllnll Suva/whoa George Beal-hope THE Namls PETERS ca., wnsnmnrqn.n. c.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

GEORGE BEARI-IOIE, OF COLUMBUS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TOWILLIAM A.

MOONEY AND ONE-THIRD 'IO THOMAS MOONEY, BOTH OF COLUMBUS, INDIANA.

PROCESS OF STUFFING-LATHER AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1907.

Application filed July 14,1905. Serial No. 269,718.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE BEARHOPE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of Bartholomew and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes ofStuHing Leather and Apparatus rIherefor, of which the following is aspecification.

At a certain stage in the manufacture of certain varieties of leather itis subjected to a process known as stufling. That is, it is impregnatedwith someone of a variety of preparations, of which grease or tallow isa leading ingredient. Some of the best of these preparations are quitehard, and only melt to the consistency best adapted for application tothe leather when subjected to a comparatively high degree of heat. Inthe processes commonly used it has been difficult to utilize the degreeof heat necessary to the best results so far as the stufling preparationis concerned. without endangering the quality of the leather, as heathas a tendency to destroy the strength of the fibers when in theordinary condition at which the stuffing has heretofore been performed.In other words, there has been a constant contest between securingefficiency of stufling conditions and the danger of impairing thestrength of the leather by heat while doing the work.

I have discovered that by carefully evaporating all the moisture fromtheleather when it has reached the stage for stufling I am enabled toutilize a materially higher degree of heat than has heretofore beenfound to be safe, and by my improved apparatus and process (as will behereinafter described) I am able to apply the stuffing preparation ormixture also at a much higher degree of heat, so that it will thoroughlypermeate the leather with the result that I have a much evener andbetter product. Vith the stuing prep aration heated to the desireddegree, and thus reduced to the proper consistency, I am also able toexercise a considerable economy in its use. 'f'hat is, it takes a lessquantity to accomplish the desired result than has heretofore beenemployed, and there is less waste.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating(ina conventional way) the apparatus which I employ in carrying out myinvention.

I first take the leather after it has been subjected to the properpreparatory treatment and suspend it in a drying chamber. Here I subjectit to the action of heat until all moisture is thoroughly evaporated, sothe leather is completely dried. When thoroughly dry, the leather willWithout injury endure a considerably higher degree of heat than it willwhen moist. I prepare the stuffing mixture by first melting it in asuitable tank, as 21. I then convey it into a compression tank, as 22.To said compression tank I connect an air compressor, as 23, so as tosecure the necessary amount of pressure therein. To this compressiontank I secure a suitable hose, as 24, having a spray nozzle, as 25. I.then provide a suitable table, the surface 26 of which is preferablyformed of coarse wire cloth, on which to lay the dried and heatedleather. I now take the leather from the chamber in which it has beenheated and the moisture evaporated therefrom, and while still dry andhot place it upon the table. I then apply the stuffing mixture theretothrough the spray nozzle. The leather and the mixture both being hot,the latter will penetrate the former readily, and I, therefore, spraysaid mixture against the leather on one side until it appears on theother, so that the fibers thereof are thoroughly permeated with saidmixture. In its heated liquid condition, any surplus stufling mixturewill run off down through the reticulated table top, and be caught by asuitable drip tank, as 27, beneath, from whence it can be run off to anysuitable receptacle and thence taken back to the melting tank andreused. After the leather has been thus treated it should be immersed incold water and allowed to remain about one day, when it will be found tobe soft and pliable, and of an excellent quality. The subsequenttreatment should be the same as that to which leather is usuallysubjected in finishing.

I-Iaving thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

l. An apparatus for stuffing leather consisting of a melting tank, acompression tank, means whereby pressure is generated within said tank,a hose connected to said tank, a spray nozzle on said hose, and aperforatedtopped table on which to place the hides while the mixtureisbeing applied from said nozzle. I

2. An apparatus for stufiing leather consisting of a melting tank, acompression tank,

means whereby pressure is generated Within this tenth day of July, A. D.one thousand said tank, a hose connected to said tank, a nine hundredand five.

nozzle on said hose, and a suitable table on i Which to place the hidesWhile the mixture is GEORGE BEARHOPE' [L S'] 5 being applied from saidnozzle. Witnesses:

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set CHESTER BRADFORD,

rny hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, JAMES A. VALSH.

